Round 11 Feature Match: Blake Funderburke vs. Wei Li

February 18th, 2018

This is the last round of Swiss. Both Duelists in this Round 11 Feature Match are 7-2-1 so neither can afford anything less than a win to keep their hopes for making the Top 32 playoff alive. 15-year-old Blake Funderburke from Long Island, New York and his opponent Wei Li from Brooklyn, New York are Dueling one another in this final Swiss Round. Li actually got his Deck from Blake, so both players knew this was a Mekk-Knight Invoked mirror match! Which of these players will keep their playoff hopes alive? Let’s find out! It’s time to Duel!

Duel 1

Funderburke won the roll and elected to go second.

Li started off with Terraforming to get Magical Meltdown from the Deck which was activated to get Aleister the Invoker from the Deck. He Normal Summoned it to get Invocation from the Deck. Next, Pot of Desires came down, banishing 10 cards to draw 2 more. Next, Spellbook of Knowledge was activated, sending Aleister the Invoker to the Graveyard to draw 2 cards. Next, Invocation was activated, banishing Aleister the Invoker from the Graveyard and sending Ghost Ogre & Snow Rabbit from hand to Graveyard to Fusion Summon Invoked Mechaba. Next, Invocation’s effect returned it to the Deck to add Aleister the Invoker to hand.

Funderburke activated Terraforming to add Magical Meltdown, which was activated to add Aleister the Invoker. Next, Funderburke activated Raigeki to clear Mechaba. Aleister the Invoker was Normal Summoned but its effect was shut down by Li’s Effect Veiler! He Set Enemy Controller and passed.

Li drew for turn and activated Ghost Reaper & Winter Cherries! Since this was a mirror match, there was plenty to choose from. He revealed Invoked Mechaba and banished Funderburke’s 3 copies. Li then Normal Summoned Aleister the Invoker to add Invocation. He then Set a card across from Funderburke’s Aleister the Invoker, then Special Summoned Mekk-Knight Indigo Eclipse in that column! Li activated Indigo’s effect, Funderburke Chained Ghost Ogre & Snow Rabbit then Chained Enemy Controller to Tribute his own Aleister the Invoker to take Li’s Aleister the Invoker! Li activated the Set Invocation! He banished Funderburke’s in-Graveyard Aleister the Invoker and Ghost Ogre & Snow Rabbit to Summon another Invoked Mechaba! He then went into the Battle Phase and straight into Main Phase 2. He went to the End Phase and took his Aleister the Invoker back.

Funderburke activated a new copy of Magical Meltdown to add another Aleister the Invoker to hand. He then Normal Summoned Aleister the Invoker and Li used Invoked Mechaba to discard Mekk-Knight Blue Sky to negate and banish Aleister the Invoker. Funderburke chained Ghost Ogre & Snow Rabbit to destroy Mechaba.

Li attacked with Aleister the Invoker. In Main Phase 2, he activated Spellbook of Knowledge, but Funderburke Chained Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring.

Funderburke drew PSY-Framegear Gamma and passed.

Li attacked again with Aleister the Invoker.

Funderburke drew Enemy Controller and passed again.

Li activated Magical Meltdown to replace the old one to add another Aleister the Invoker. He Summoned it and activated the effect, but Funderburke chained PSY-Framegear Gamma to negate and destroy Aleister the Invoker while Summoning PSY-Framegear Gamma and PSY-Frame Driver to his field! Li Set a card across from PSY-Frame Driver then Special Summoned Mekk-Knight Purple Nightfall to that column! He attacked over PSY-Framegear Gamma and in Main Phase 2, he used Purple’s effect to banish itself until his next Standby Phase and added Mekk-Knight Blue Sky to hand.

Funderburke drew his third Enemy Controller. That was enough for Funderburke as he conceded to go to Duel 2.

Duel 2

Funderburke elected to go second.

Li started off with nothing.

Funderburke drew for turn, activated Terraforming for Magical Meltdown, which was activated for Aleister the Invoker. He Set Aleister the Invoker in the center Main Monster Zone and Cosmic Cyclone next to the Deck (to avoid a Mekk-Knight Summon) and passed.

Funderburke Set Solemn Strike across from Cosmic Cyclone but Funderburke immediately flipped Cosmic Cyclone to banish it. Next, Li Set a card across from Aleister the Invoker, then Special Summoned Mekk-Knight Blue Sky in that column! Next, Mind Control stole the face-down Aleister the Invoker. Li Flip Summoned the Aleister the Invoker and used its effect to add Invocation from Deck to hand. Invocation was activated but Funderburke Chained Artifact Lancea. Li couldn’t resolve Invocation and revealed his hand of all Spells and Traps to confirm. He attacked with Mekk-Knight Blue Sky and in Main Phase 2, used the pilfered Aliester to Link Summon Clara & Rushka, the Ventriloduo. He Set one in the same column as Clara then Special Summoned Mekk-Knight Purple Nightfall behind Clara. He then Set 2 cards to the far left and right zones and passed.

Funderburke activated Pot of Desires, banishing 10 to draw 2 cards. He Special Summoned Mekk-Knight Indigo Eclipse across from Clara (which also has Purple and a Set behind it). Funderburke’s Mekk-Knight Indigo Eclipse attacked Mekk-Knight Blue Sky for 400 damage. In Main Phase 2, Aleister the Invoker was Normal Summoned but its effect was shut down by Li’s Solemn Strike.

Li drew for turn, and in the Standby Phase, Li activated Mekk-Knight Purple Nightfall to banish itself until his next turn’s Standby Phase to add Mekk-Knight Blue Sky from Deck to hand. He Special Summoned it across from Funderburke’s Mekk-Knight Indigo Eclipse but Funderburke activated Mekk-Knight Indigo Eclipse’s effect to move it over one zone to the right. Sneaky.

Li pressed on by activating Mind Control on Funderburke’s Mekk-Knight Indigo Eclipse. He used it and Clara & Rushka, the Ventriloduo to Link Summon Underclock Taker. He then activated Invocation, but Funderburke Chained Artifact Lancea to prevent Invocation from resolving. He attacked with all of his monsters.

Funderburke drew Pot of Desires and activated it, but Terraforming and Raigeki were no help. He extended the handshake!